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the forest, so as it might see/' says the 

 poet, " the male palm-tree at Brindisi, it 

 then began to bear fruit in abundance/' 

 M. Geoffrey makes no doubt but that the tree 

 then only began to bear fruit, because it was 

 in a condition to catch on it's branches the 

 farina of the male brought thither by the 

 wind. 



It may appear to many persons almost 

 incredible, that the pollen of the male flower 

 should be conveyed to so great a distance ; 

 but that it should be attracted by a tree of 

 it's own species, will not create so much our 

 wonder, when, with the least reflection, we 

 must be satisfied that the glutinous moisture 

 on the stigmata of flowers, has an attraction 

 for the pollen of the anthera of it's kind only; 

 else, when a variety of flowers were blossoming 

 at the same time, we should have the rose 

 impregnating the lily, and the wheat giving 

 it's generating powder to the poppy. All 

 animals and insects, when left to nature, 

 couple with their kinds. Vegetables do the 

 same, although it is now clearly ascertained 

 that it is possible to make the stigma of one 

 blossom receive the pollen of another, if it is 

 prevented from taking that of it's own spe- 

 cies ; and thus we have within these last few 



